Combined shock absorber and snubber



March 16 1926.

T. DIXON COMBINEDV SHOCK ABSORBER AND SNUBBER Filed April 29, 1925 zg?. j

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f frame. The spring is of the double action. ftype, i. e. 1t is Vcapable of operating under Patented Mar. 16, 1926.

. .UN1TED' STATES! THOMASDIXON, OF WEST YORK, NEW

coivtnlivnnv snoer: `naso'nsnn AND isnuit-BER.

Application `filed April' 29,1925.. Serial No. 26,599. Y

To all 'whom t may concer/11;.'

Be it known that I, THOMAS DIXON, a citizen of the United States, residing at fest New York, county of Hudson, and State of N ew Jersey, have invented a certain new and usefulv Combined Shock Absorber and Snubber, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is an automobile accessory and `the object of Vthe invention is to provide a device adapted Yfor attachment to automobiles and capable of conjointly serving as both a shock absorber and asnubber. Both shock absorbers and snubbers are well known in the automobile art, but the present invention'aims to provide a unitary structure foil carrying out both functions in a simple, economical and eiiicient manner. Speaking generally, the invention -c'onsists in a coiled spring, 'one end of which is adapted'to be securedto the axlev of the vehicle andthe other end of .which is {adapted to be secured directly to the chassis compression `or expansion.

Inxthe preferred vform of the invention, it is'so associated with the operative parts of the car that it will be slightly yunwound or expanded when the associated wheel of ,the vehicle strikes an obstruction and will thus function as Ia shock absorber. On `therebound lof the vehicle spr-ing following the striking of the obstruction, the tendency of.

the chassis frame to lift will cause a compressing or winding up of the spring which will, in this instance, function as a snubber, and thus `preclude breaking ofthe vehicle springs. as so commonly results from rebound. i In practice four devices :embodying the invention Vare preferably associated with the car'when fully equipped therewith and will safeguard both the front and rear" vehicle springs and render the car very easy riding. If desired, however, either the front axle or rear axle may be individually equipped and the other left unequipped.

An-important feature of the present invention resides in the simplicity of the construction, the economy in manufacture, and ease in assembly. Features of the invention, other than those specified, will be apparent from the hereinafter detailed description and claims,

when read in conjunction with Athe accom'- panying drawings.

rIhe accompanying drawingsr illustrate one practical embodiment of the invention, ibut the .construction therein .shown is to be understood as illustrative, only, and not as defining the limits of theinvention.

"Figure 1 shows .in front elevation .one lateral 'half ,of a'motorveh'icle with the present invention associated therewith. A

Figure 2 is a similar view lookingV from the rear of the vehicle.

lFigure 3 is a section on .the line `3 3 of to support the chassis .frame above the a-X'le in the well known Ymanner forming no :part of this invention.

In the preferred form of the invention, my shockY absorber and snubber when associated with the front axle is in `the form shown in Figures vl `and 3. It kembodies ,a coil spring-6 "having a plurality of convolutions andthe opposite ends ofwhich spring are 'bent to fornir arms 7 and V8, "the former of which 'is adapted to be secured ,to the front axle and the latter to the chassis frame. The means for securing the arms 7' and' 8 to the respective Yparts `may of course vary without departing from the 'invention, but, for illustrative purposes, I have shown the arm 7 as attached to a bracket 9.' This bracket is formed vin two parts adapted to simultaneously embrace both the axle and the end of the arm 7 and when these parts are secured together by bolts 10, they serve to tightly clamp the bracket to the aXle and the bracket to the arm 7. The end of the arm 8 may be secured to the chassis frame in any convenient manner, but for the purpose of illustration, the end of said'arm is shown as threaded and is adapted to be passed through a hole bored in the chassis frame and the arm clamped to the frame by means of amb nuts 1l and.L

l2. Then thus Inounted in position', the ends of the arms 7 and 8 will be respectively secured to the axis of the chassis frame.

A like arrangement may be employed 1n conjunction with `the rear aXle although I preferably form the arm 7 as shown in F 1gure 2 for rear axle installation, and mount the bracket on the front axle as close to the hub of the Wheel as possible. This bracket which is designated 9xx is practicaltlie same construction as the bracket 9, but is of course shaped to properly cooperate with the rear axle housing,T and accordingly the parts or sections of said bracket are substantially semicircular in shape. The arm 8 of the structure shown in Figure 2 is formed in the saine manner as described With reference to front axle assembly and is secured to the chassis frame in the same Way.

In practice, l preferably so forni the device of this invention that it will be norinally under slight expanding force when in place on the car and the oar at rest. Thus in applying' the devices to a car, the frame ot' the car is acked up suilicicntly to permit the devices to be attached While in neutral condition. lllhen the jack or jacks are rcinoved, the Weight of the car Will be partially imposed upon the shock absorbing devices and will be carried by these devices and by the front and rear springs el and 5, .so that when thecafr strikes an obstruction orirregldarity in the road, the shock absorbing' devices will be further flexed and will coopeatc with the vehicle springs to cushion the chassis frame against resulting shock. On the rebound following the shock, there will be a tendency of the chassis frame to lift,` but after it has lifted a relatively small distance, the neutral point of the shock absorbing devices will be passed and further tendency of the chassis frame to lift vill place said devices under compression.

.lhat is to say, such lifting teiidency will vrind up the springs (3 so that the liftingr tendiunfy will be counteracted or counterhalaniod by the tension imparted to the springs by such lifting;` action and 'the devices will thus function as snubbers.V if desired, the devices may be so installed that when the vehicle is at rest or passing over a perfectly smooth pavement, said devices Will be in neutral condition, but I lind The combined snubber and shock absorber of this invention may be made from a bar of metal bent into the desired shape and 60 heat treated to render it resilient and capable of carrying out its functions as a spring; element and such being the case, it may be manufactured very economically and Without the use of complicated machin- 65 ery or tools. In practice, the device is highly ellicient both as a shock absorber for assistinpr the springs in cushioning the chassis against sudden shocks and as a snubber or check against recoil following such shocks. 70 The device may be installed by the car owner or other persons who are not possessed of any particular skill in the handling of tools and may bc applied Without necessitating' any change in the oar construction 75 other than the boring' of one hole in the chassis frame for each device. tural elements of the car remain the same and are unchanged.

The struc- The accom )an ino' drawinefs show the in- 80 vention in its preferred practical forms, but inasmuch as it Will be apparent that changes in shape which do not depart from thc spirit of this invention may be made without departing' from the invention which 85 is to be understood as fully commensurate with the appended claim.

Having thus fully described the invention, What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1s: 90

A shock absorber and snubber embodying a coil spring' having` a series of coaxial helical convolutions, which terminate in a pair of integral attaching' arms, a bracket carried by one of said arms and adapted to be 95 secured to the axle of a vehicle, the other attachingi' arni having; a threaded end adapted lo pass through an aperture in the chassis frame of the vehicle, and a nut cooperating; 'with the threaded portion of the latter arm 100 for securing' Isaid arm to the chassis frame.

lin testimony whereof l have signed the foregoing specification.

THOMAS DIXON. 

